Dubai: Iran’s prosecutor’s general office on Monday issued a stark warning to millions of Iranians abroad: express support for the United States and Israel, and face confiscation of properties along with severe legal penalties.
The threat targets diaspora members celebrating recent blows against Tehran amid the escalating US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which erupted on February 28 and claimed the life of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has swiftly named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as successor, heightening tensions with overseas critics.
State media quoted the prosecutor’s general office stating: “A warning has been issued to those Iranians living abroad who in different ways sympathise, support or cooperate with the American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy.
“They will be met with the confiscation of all their properties and other legal penalties in a
ccordance with the law.”
The alert follows street celebrations in European and US cities by diaspora voices calling for political upheaval in Tehran. Newly launched Telegram channels have doxxed prominent expatriates, sharing their critical posts against Iran’s clerical leadership and in favour of the foreign strikes.
Iranian government data estimates up to five million Iranians live abroad, primarily in the United States and Western Europe, though local media suggest the number nears 10 million.
In London, Meysam Aghakhani, who works at a local shop, brushed off the intimidation. “I don’t really think any Iranian outside, in the diaspora, is really and truly worried about themselves and their properties and equity and belongings when people inside Iran, they go out, barehanded, without anything, they will stand in front of live ammunition, and they actually get killed,” he told Reuters. “So my war and my fight continues without any hesitation.”
Fellow Londoner Naser Kayvani, owner of a dry cleaning business, voiced similar defiance amid decades of unrest. “We don’t have any choice. Iranian people (for) more than 40 years (have tried) to find another rule (another government). Two and half months ago, a lot of Iranian people (were) killed by (the) government,” he said.